The Butterfly's Love
by mindblower4729
Summary: Hi this is my first fanfic hope you enjoy. The story has doesn't follow the episodes, it's something I made from the ideas I had. Kaito is weakening from hunting numbers for Haruto. When he reaches his limits, a particular woman steps in and helps him.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

"Aw Kaito! Welcome back. So how many Numbers have you collected so far?"

Mr. Heartland looked into the grey eyes that should be stern and filled with hate in them. But instead, there was barely any hate in them like they should be. Instead, they were expressing a look of weariness, and underneath those grey eyes were dark circles, an indication of days, perhaps weeks, without any sleep. Tired, indeed.

All Kaito could feel right now was fatigue and slight fainting. The many nights he spent all over Heartland hunting Numbers has definitely taken a toll on the poor duelist. Kaito had thought about getting some rest before heading out again. But the one thing that he's fighting for cannot be delayed with his own needs. He has a mission that he cannot fail, and if he did fail, than he would lose everything. That was something he cannot risk, even if it meant a few nights without sleep.

The blond duelist focused back to Mr. Heartland's previous question. But he started to feel his drowsiness starting to impair his thinking. Deciding to not waste his energy to answer the man he hated, he turned to his ally robot beside him.

"Orbital." He said.

The robot called Orbital immediately saluted before talking.

"Yes, sir."

An image started to project from Orbital 7's eye, the projection appeared as a grid with some of the squares filled in with white while the other squares were empty.

"In total, we have collected 19 Numbers." Orbital answered. The projection disappeared.

"Excellent! You never fail to disappoint me, Kaito." Mr. Heartland's smile and voice both expressed positive emotions as he talked. "With the many Numbers you have collected, we are but a few steps closer to achieving our goal. Progress like this is exactly the kind of influence we need to keep our minds directed to our cause."

Mr. Heartland walked towards to Kaito and placed his hands on his shoulders. "And it's progress like this, that your brother will be close to cured."

Kaito's expression barely changed, despite his cold stare to the man he couldn't help but feel a since of hope. Hope for his brother.

"Has Haruto woken up?" Kaito said, trying to hide the obvious exhaustion in his voice.

"I'm afraid Haruto is still unconscious from the incident that occurred to him. I probably wouldn't expect him to be awake within a few more weeks from the condition he's in."

That answer helped Kaito's motivation, knowing his brother is still in a state of unconsciousness only forced him to continue onward to hunting Numbers. Something that he's been doing for so long.

"Is there anything else you have to say?"

Mr. Heartland shook his head in disagreement. "Nothing at the moment, we've wasted enough time talking as it is."

Mr. Heartland's hands lifted from Kaito's shoulders, Kaito turned from Mr. Heartland and started walking to the door with Orbital 7 following him. The door opened automatically and Kaito proceeded out.

"Be sure to collect more Numbers, Kaito. Otherwise, your brother will remain ill." Mr. Heartland called out before the doors closed.

The exhaustion was starting to grow more severe as Kaito continued walking. His steps became slower and his legs started to feel numb. His eyes started closing slightly with each step he took. But he won't be falling to unconsciousness that easily, he has to stay awake. His mission to cure his little brother's illness was all he needed to continue moving.

'I don't need sleep. When my brother is free from his illness, I can have all the sleep I need. Until then, I still have to move forward.' Kaito thought.

He didn't care about his conditions, his robot assistant on the other hand was the opposite.

"Kaito-sama. You're losing a lot of energy." Orbital 7 claimed. "You haven't gotten any sleep or rest for nearly two weeks. Not to mention the overuse of your photon transformation is continuing to drain you. You have to preserve your energy, otherwise—"

"Shut up." Kaito exclaimed. "I don't need useless comments from the likes of you. Understand!"

"Eep! Yes, sir." Orbital 7 became quiet, not daring to mutter a word for fear of his master.

The walk continued until they had reached their destination. In front of Kaito was the door to the medical room. He stepped forward, the doors opened to his response and he entered the room, Orbital 7 remained outside to give his master some personal space. His eyes were fixed on the person lying on the bed. The patient had light blue hair, dark circles around his closed eyes. The rest of his body was covered by the blanket that was preserving his heat. The monitor screen continued beeping, evidence that he is in a somewhat stable condition.

Kaito looked at the unconscious form of his little brother, Haruto, and he started to feel incredibly upset and guilty. Upset because of his brother's condition, and guilty because he should've been there for his brother. If he had known earlier about his brother's disappearance, he would've been able to save him before the Tron family abducted him. Heck, he felt he should've acted faster. He feels it's his fault his brother is like this, so fragile. Kaito could feel the remorse eating away in his chest. There was nothing he could do right now besides his mission and being there for his brother. Kaito walked closer to Haruto's bed. He placed his hand on top of his unconscious brother's.

"I know you probably can't hear me, especially in the state you're in. But I need to speak my mind."

Kaito closed his eyes to relax himself, he felt the tiredness growing but continued speaking.

"If you can hear me, I just want to say. I'm sorry." Kaito's grip tightened. "I'm sorry for not being there, I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you in time. I know you would say it isn't my fault, but it is. As your older brother, it's my job to watch over you. You shouldn't be in this if I hadn't been so preoccupied." Kaito could feel his chest hurting him, he felt like crying. But that wasn't like him to show weakness, he is a strong, cold person. That is how he should be.

"I'm going to make you better soon. I promise, Haruto. I won't fail you again."

He let go of his brother's hand, he turned to the door and walked out. Orbital 7 followed him as he passed right by.

"Let's head to the next possible location, the sooner we collect the numbers, the sooner I am close to healing my brother." Kaito ordered.

"You won't be able to get out of here in the state you're currently in, Kaito."

Kaito stopped walking. He recognized that voice. He turned around, and sure enough, standing against the wall behind him was his fellow Numbers Hunter. Her purple hair with several bangs passing her brown eyes and familiar white business suit and purple tights with black spike high heels.

"What do you want, Dorowa?" Kaito asked.

The woman, Dorowa, began walking towards him. She stopped in front of him and her brown eyes looked at his grey eyes thoroughly. Her expression remained calm as she spoke.

"Kaito, you look horrible. There's dark circles forming around your eyes and your legs are trembling as you walk. You need to get some rest."

Kaito closed his eyes in agitation. He didn't need her concerns right now. He began talking, trying to keep himself from bursting into anger. He turned away from her.

"I can take care of myself. I don't need your comments interfering with my work." He proclaimed.

"Kaito please," Dorowa begged. "Your condition is just going to slow you down, or worse, you could end up in the infirmary like Haruto."

Kaito's hands started curling into fists. 'How dare… how dare she mention my brother like this.' Kaito was keeping every ounce of anger suppressed. Orbital noticed the agitation emitting from his master and immediately backed away with fear. Dorowa, on the other hand, either didn't notice or trying to provoke him.

Kaito felt soft fingers grabbing his chin and forcing him to turn back. He stared at Dorowa with slight surprise at the sudden action, but immediately regained his angry demeanor. Dorowa looked at him with concern.

"Just look at yourself Kaito. If you keep pushing yourself like this, you won't be able to help Haruto in this condition. Please, just take a rest for a day." Dorowa pleaded.

Kaito slapped her hand away from him, not enough force to hurt her, but enough to catch her by surprise. Kaito looked at her with the menacing face he hoped would stop her.

"You aren't my supervisor. I'm in charge of myself, now leave me alone!" He started stomping away from her. But he never got far.

Kaito felt his feet suddenly collapse. He was now on his knees with his hands on the ground. He never realized how tired he actually felt, before he could do anything else, his vision turned black. The last thing he could hear before blacking out, was the shout of his name.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, it's me, Mindblower. Thanks to those who reviewed my story, and thanks for your enthusiasm to continue reading my story, I am truly thankful and honoured to receive your comments. So far it's 3 reviews for my first chapter, that's progress and pretty good. But reviews don't matter to me (even though it sort of does). From now on, I will be posting a new chapter every Saturday. If I don't post an update on a Saturday, it would mean that I am incredibly busy, I am in my last year of high school after all, need to get good marks. ;) But I will post it the next Saturday if I don't on the original.**

**Anyway, here's my second chapter. Enjoy and please comment. **

Chapter Two:

Darkness was all he could see before he finally opened his eyes. It was a tough struggle, but after what felt like hours, Kaito opened his eyes to see the ceiling above him. He searched his surroundings, his back is lying on top of something flat and familiarly comfortable. When he looked at the room he is in, he recognized the familiarity. He is in his room and on his bed. The question now was how? His thoughts were now scrambling, trying to remember what happened. He remembered he had collapsed to the ground before everything went dark. But how did he get here? Kaito proceeded to sit up, but he couldn't. For the first time since he awoke, Kaito feels something wrapped around both of his wrists.

'What the?' he thought.

He looked to his hands, and what he saw shocked him. Both of his wrists were wrapped tightly by what he could distinguish as handcuffs, and they were attached to his bed. Kaito struggled to pull himself free, but to no avail. He is stuck on the bed with both of his hands cuffed tightly.

'Oh you gotta be kidding me!'

He looked at his legs, which both weren't cuffed. Not that it would matter because his hands were already making him immobilized. Kaito once again tried to break free, but his actions were (once again) in vain. Groaning in irritation, Kaito let himself rest on his bed. All he could do for the moment was think how this could've happened.

'Let's see now. Before I fainted, I was walking in the halls after visiting Haruto. Then before I fainted, I heard—'

A voice! He remembered someone had called out to him before he fainted. But who was it? Kaito closed his eyes in concentration, trying to picture the events that took place. He remembered that he was on the ground, losing his sight. But before he went to a state of unconsciousness, there was someone shouting to him. The voice said his name, Kaito. So that would mean it wasn't Orbital 7 since he always referred to him as Kaito-sama. So that could only mean—

The sound of a door opening automatically snapped his attention away from his thoughts. Kaito looked to the door, there standing at the entrance was...

"Dorowa?"

The woman sighed in relief, she began walking closer to the bed where Kaito was chained to.

"Dorowa? What are you... how did? What's going on?" Kaito was speaking incoherently, due to the fact he can't understand what the heck was going on.

Dorowa had made all the way to his side, she grabbed a chair and sat down on the right side of his bed. Her gaze never left his, and neither did his eyes.

"Thank goodness you're alright Kaito, you had us worried." Dorowa spoke calmly.

Kaito looked at her with the same cold appearance he portrays to everyone, except his brother. How could she just sit here while he was cuffed to the bed?

"What happened? And why am I in chains?" He demanded.

"You fell to your knees and before I could act, you were already lying on the ground. By the time I got to you, you were already unconscious. So I took you here." She explained.

"I see." Kaito looked around his room. He suddenly realized someone that was missing.

"Where is Orbital 7?"

"He's in your laboratory, I told him I would carry you back to your room while he looked for more Numbers." Dorowa explained.

Numbers. That one word made Kaito sit up as much as he could.

"Then I should get back out immediately. Do you think you can get these chains off of me?" He gestured to his hands.

Dorowa shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

Kaito was starting to get angry again. "Why not?"

"Because if I did, you would go back to hunting Numbers." She said coolly.

Realization hit Kaito in the back of his head, she chained him.

"So you chained me to my bed. You did that so I wouldn't be able to do my job."

Dorowa nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're correct."

His anger could no longer be held back. He shot straight up, only to bounce back on his bed.

"Let me go!" He yelled.

"Not until you recover some strength back."

"I have enough strength to spare, now let me go!" He retorted

"No." Dorowa repeated.

"Are you trying to stop me from saving my brother?" Kaito exclaimed. "I can handle this, if you can just let me go, I can show you that I'm fine."

"Don't be a fool Kaito. You won't be able to make it out of this building in the state you're in. You need to rest if you want to continue to help Haruto." She argued back.

Kaito looked at her with hatred written all over his face, Dorowa just looked at him with equal coldness in her eyes. But remembering the current situation, Dorowa's expression became more relaxed when she collected her calm self. She reached both of her hands out and placed it on Kaito's chained right hand. Kaito remained staring at her, but he couldn't help but feel how soft, warm and oddly comforting her hands were. It felt surprisingly nice to him. Dorowa spoke again, this time back in her calm voice.

"Kaito, I care about you. I hate to see you in this kind of pain, everyday you have to work to save your brother. I know you have to do this, and I won't stop you from doing it. I'm just asking you to look out for yourself more often. If something happens to you, who will be there to help Haruto?" Dorowa said softly.

Kaito could feel his stare turn soft, when she put it that way, Dorowa was right. But he won't allow that to stop him.

Dorowa continued, "And it doesn't have to be long, just... one day. Take one day off to recuperate your strength, and you can go back to hunting Numbers. Please Kaito, for Haruto."

Kaito's thoughts were now scrambling. His first initiative is and always to heal his brother, right now, he obviously can't continue that with his hands cuffed. So far, Kaito could only see one option he could do, and he is not proud of it. Kaito isn't the kind of person who would admit defeat, but in his current situation what else can he do.

Dorowa watched Kaito turning his face away from her, she was starting to feel infuriated by Kaito's persistent nature. She was about to turn his head around again when she heard him mutter something quietly.

"What?" she asked.

"I said, fine." He loudly repeated.

Dorowa felt relief course through her the instant he agreed.

"Thank you, Kaito." She responded.

She took her hands off of his. However, she couldn't help but notice how much she suddenly missed the contact. How cold her hands were when they were removed from his.

"Okay we have a deal, now take these cuffs off." He started shaking his hands causing the chains to rattle in response.

"Those stay on you." She concluded.

Kaito's eyes widened, "What? But we agreed! I said I would take the day off."

"I never said anything about taking those handcuffs off of you." Dorowa responded calmly.

Kaito felt horror struck at him, "So I'm stuck on this bed for the whole day? You can't do that!"

"I will do what is necessary to make sure you are well, even if I have to confine you to your bed to do it."

Kaito looked at her with disbelief in his eyes.

He gritted his teeth as he tried, for the third time, helplessly to shake himself free of these godforsaken cuffs. As usual, it proved to be ineffective. Not to mention how draining it was. Kaito could feel the exhaustion coming back at him, his arms weren't moving as violently and his eyes were becoming half closed. Kaito could feel the exhaustion overwhelming him again.

"Don't strain yourself, I suggest you sleep now instead of wasting your time trying to escape." Dorowa ordered.

This woman has the nerve to contain him from doing the things he wants and not feel any remorse about it. Now, she's trying to control him, like some animal. Doesn't she trust him?

"So I'm supposed to follow what you are saying, is that it? I thought you would trust me. Like how I trusted you." Kaito said, his voice is visibly showing how upset he is.

Dorowa noticed the upset tone in his voice, she frowned sadly. That isn't how she wanted him to think.

"You're taking this the wrong way, I do trust you Kaito. But you can be very reckless when you do something crazy. I just can't take that chance." She said.

She started standing on her feet, "I placed your deck on the table over there, I took your coat off so that you won't be overheated, it's right on this chair." She patted on the chair she sat on.

"So when does this whole break of mine end?" Kaito questioned.

"Don't rush it. It's already near midnight, so tomorrow, you will take the whole day off."

Today had a lot of surprises for Kaito. "It's midnight already? How long was I unconscious for?"

"It was around 7 PM when you fainted, it's close to 12. So I guess you've been out for 4 hours." Dorowa explained.

She proceeded to the door to exit his room. When was a foot away, she stopped walking and turned back to Kaito.

"Is there anything else you need?" Dorowa asked.

"I don't think Mr. Heartland would appreciate this when he finds out you chained me here." Kaito stated.

"That wouldn't be a problem, I'll just make an excuse to cover your absence." Dorowa assured.

Kaito raised an eyebrow, "You sound as if you had this planned from the beginning." That sounded incredibly scary to him.

Dorowa smirked, "I might have."

She turned back to the door and it automatically opened. "I will return tomorrow with breakfast. And since you obviously cannot go anywhere, I insist you get some shuteye."

With that, Dorowa exited from the room. As the doors closed completely shut, Kaito sighed irritatingly.

'This is ridiculous, I won't be a prisoner to my own room.' He thought to himself. 'I can't risk taking a day off for my own needs when something bad might happen to Haruto any moment. '

Kaito looked to his cuffed hands, or more specifically, the hand which Dorowa had her hands on. He remembered how warm it was, how soft it was against his own...

How much he missed the contact.

Kaito shook his head rapidly. 'What is going on with me? Why am I thinking about...THAT?'

His mind was now swarming with the image and memory of what happened between him and Dorowa. Try as he might, he couldn't get it out of his head.

'It was just an act of concern and care, nothing more! Get a grip of yourself, Kaito!' He thought loudly in his mind.

The word care stroke Kaito with an impact equal to the AR Vision during a duel, he remembered what Dorowa had said a while ago:

"_Kaito, I care about you. I hate to see you in this kind of pain"_

That was the first time he heard something full of concern from Dorowa. The cold-hearted woman who he had worked with is now acting all caring to him. This truly confused Kaito.

'Why is she so concerned for me? Why now? Is there something behind that cold exterior she has?' Kaito thought. 'What are you doing, Dorowa?'

The darkness of the room combined with the silence and overwhelming exhaustion makes sleep come easily. Before he knew it, Kaito was fast asleep.

The doors shut behind her as she walked out, she looked at the closed doors behind her. Many thoughts were coming into her mind, whether he would make an attempt escape behind her back or if he is actually taking some rest for once.

'Please get some rest Kaito' she thought to herself. 'I need you alive.'

"Dorowa?"

Dorowa froze. She turned her attention behind her. Standing a few feet away from her, was none other than the devil himself.

"Mr. Heartland."

The man with green hair and purple eyes behind the glasses was staring at her with curiosity.

"It's already midnight, even people like you need sleep. So why are you out here?" he asked curiously. His eyes turned to the door leading to Kaito's room.

"This is Kaito's room, am I correct?"

Dorowa responded, "Yes."

Mr. Heartland looked at her with eyes of suspicion replacing his curious ones. Dorowa maintained her calm appearance, but inside she was starting to grow anxious.

"Would you mind telling me why you came out of that room just now?" Mr. Heartland spoke with his regular tone.

Dorowa was starting to feel more anxious, this was harder than she initially thought. Mr. Heartland can be really intimidating.

"I was talking to Kaito about Haruto's condition. I wanted to make sure he wasn't letting it get in his way, he is our best Numbers Hunter after all." Dorowa said.

Mr. Heartland gave his signature smile, "But of course, that is incredibly thoughtful of you to make sure our star warrior doesn't lose track of his attention. Wonderful, Dorowa."

Dorowa felt the anxiety subside. A little.

"Well, I guess I should have a word with Kaito myself." Mr. Heartland started walking closer to the door.

"NO!"

Time froze. Mr. Heartland had stopped his advances, his attention was now directed to Dorowa. Needless to say, both of them were surprised. What Dorowa did was something on impulse and incredibly stupid.

"I'm sorry? What?" Mr. Heartland asked.

Dorowa felt the anxiety return, she closed her eyes briefly to calm her nerves. Feeling more focused, she answered.

"Kaito is really tired from today, the moment I stepped out of the room Kaito had fallen asleep. I don't think it would be wise to wake him up when he has work tomorrow."

Mr. Heartland stared at her. He was starting to feel something was incredibly strange about his right-hand woman, especially when it involves a particular blonde duelist. There was something strange going on.

Dorowa looked at her boss, his stare sending fear into her heart. She prayed that a miracle would happen right now. And fortunately for her, lady luck was on her side.

Mr. Heartland's stern look turned back to it's original positive expression.

"Well, that makes sense. Kaito was acting awfully different today, he probably just needs some rest is all and he will be fine by tomorrow." He concluded.

Dorowa almost sighed in relief. She felt the weight lift from her, she and Kaito won't get into trouble. For now.

Mr. Heartland yawned exhaustingly, "Kaito's not the only one who needs to get some rest. I'm heading to bed, I insist you do the same as well."

Dorowa bowed, "Yes, Mr. Heartland."

Mr. Heartland started walking the opposite direction, Dorowa placed her hand on her chest and finally sighed. She had never felt so much better after what had happened.

"Oh, Dorowa." Mr. Heartland called out.

Dorowa immediately stood straight again, "Yes, Mr. Heartland?"

"The next time you want to stop me from something, please don't be as loud as you were. These walls have incredible acoustics after all."

"Yes, sir." Dorowa mouthed a curse to herself.

When Mr. Heartland was finally gone, Dorowa started walking back to her own room.

'I have to be more careful, I can't allow anyone to find out about Kaito's condition, or what we're going to do.' She thought to herself.

She had to admit, it was really troublesome to help Kaito back to recovery.

But he was worth it.

End of chapter 2. Chapter 3 is coming soon. Hope you enjoyed it. ;) R&R.


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, it's Saturday. You know what that means, a new chapter to my first story. Hope you enjoy and please read and review. Comments can be good or bad.**

**I finished all my culminating work in high school, so that leaves me with a few days before exams. During which, I probably won't be able to update my story, but my exams are in mid-June so that leaves me with a few more days to continue updating before I have to study. In the meantime, if you like this story, I would appreciate it if you would leave a comment to express how you feel about my story. Thank you and have a nice weekend. ;) **

Chapter Three:

_Beads of sweat started forming on her forehead, her breathing started to increase and grow rapidly. Every muscle in her body is ready to collapse from the exhaustion, but she won't fall that easily. She watched as the robot continued swinging its many arms at the other duelist, most of them had been knocked unconscious by the giant machine. Only five duelists, including herself, were still standing. She watched one of the hands approaching to her promptly. _

_She was ready for it, she was about to activate the trap she had set in her duel disk. But the next thing that happened was something she couldn't defend herself from. Electricity surged at her, it was then she realized the robot was starting to become more violent. The electrical attack caught her off guard, she collapsed on her back. _

"_The robot has malfunctioned." A voice spoke. "But the only way to defeat it is to finish the duel." _

_Dorowa sat up, right at the moment the two other duelists had been defeated. One of them attempted to stand, only to fall back to the ground. Dorowa started to feel the fear growing in her, what this robot was doing could kill them. The robot turned its head from behind to her direction. Horror is written in her eyes, her thoughts were telling her to stand and fight. But the fear was overwhelming her judgment, all she could do is back away as far as she could. _

"_Dorowa!" a boy screamed._

_Her back had hit the wall. She had nowhere to go. She watched in horror as the robot's hand came right at her. Afraid to see what was going to happen next, she covered her eyes and screamed._

"_NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" _

[8]

"NO!"

Her eyes instantly opened and she shot right up from her bed. Her wide eyes stared at the darkness in her room. Her breathing was hard, her body was sweating and her heart was pounding. It took a few seconds before she calmed herself and understood what was going on.

'It was only a dream' she thought. 'No... not a dream, a memory'

A memory she locked deep in her subconscious, only to return in the form of a nightmare.

Dorowa lied back on her bed, feeling the anxiety exiting her. Breathing in, she relaxed herself on her bed. The memory of that event still circling in her mind, it was terrifying but only a memory. It won't harm her now. Dorowa looked at the ceiling, that memory started to make her think of her past. How she wasn't the same young girl she used to be. How she chose to not concern herself with others. And it was from that day, she chose her goal.

All because of him.

Dorowa rolled to her side, the clock on her nightstand was showing 3:13 AM. It's still early. She rolled back on her back and closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep.

But sleep doesn't come easily after a nightmare like that.

[8]

Morning had replaced night, and the streets were now filled with people getting to work and kids heading off to school. The sun shone all over Heartland, showering the people with the image of a new great day that is to come. Despite the shine of the sun, everyday is almost the same. It's always work, school, dueling, and a particular kid being late for school for who knows how many times. That was pretty much what the city of Heartland experiences every day. However, sometimes there are events that would be different from what people would regularly see in different places. One example is what is currently happening in the Heartland Tower, the tower with the huge heart at the top which nobody could miss. It's the home of Mr. Heartland, founder of Heartland City, and his associates.

In the tower, a dark, red, flame-shaped haired man wearing a grey and black coloured coat with orange ruffles, two belts and leather pants with white and brown boots was walking through the hall, heading from his room to grab something to eat. The man was showing his iconic grin, a smile that is expressing his motivation for the one thing he loves most: Duelling. His fiery spirit is too much to contain, the only thing that could satisfy him was the adrenaline of duelling, the excitement when facing a worthy opponent. That was what duelling is, and today, he will get as much as he can.

'I'll just grab a riceball and head out immediately' he thought to himself.

As he was making his way to the cafeteria, he hears footsteps approaching to his direction, and another sound that he could interpret were wheels rolling. If he is right, the sound of wheels rolling could only belong to the one person he knew who always had a robot following him: A familiar blond duelist whom he competes against in hunting Numbers.

The man's smile grew, a little rivalry talk wouldn't be minded by him. He was always competitive to Kaito when it comes to collecting Numbers, always trying to show how incompetent Kaito was compared to himself. And with the right words, he might be able to strike some extra motivation to himself. The sounds of the approaching footsteps were getting louder, meaning they are getting closer to him, that and the growing shadow that was coming from the corner. But when he saw the form of Orbital 7 coming into view, he instantly thought it was him.

"Already setting out to look for Numbers so soon, Kai—"

He didn't finish the sentence, because the person he was fully looking at now was not his rival. It was his partner.

"Dorowa?" the man said in surprise.

The woman stopped walking, she looked to the man who had just called to her. Her expression remained firm and professional.

"Good morning, Gauche." She greeted.

The man, Gauche, looked at her partner in confusion. He turned his eyes to the short robot beside her, and back to her. This is rather strange.

"What's wrong, Gauche?" Dorowa asked to her partner.

"I was expecting Kaito." He proclaimed.

Dorowa understood her partner's confusion, "Kaito's still sleeping, Orbital and I were just heading to his room to get him."

"Still sleeping? Kaito usually wakes up earlier than us." He stated. This was surely strange.

Orbital 7 spoke, "Kaito-sama is very tired from the previous Number hunting, he fought two opponents at once and took a lot of damage from the duel."

Gauche had his fingers gripping on his chin, "Hmm that does sound like Kaito. But that doesn't explain why you're with Dorowa."

Orbital started to grow worrisome, "Well, that is—"

Dorowa answered quickly, "Orbital has found some new locations of possible Numbers, he was going to inform Kaito when we bumped into each other."

Gauche still isn't convinced. His eyes looked at Dorowa with suspicion. It was then that he suddenly realized that she carrying something. His eyes now stared at the tray of food she was carrying with both hands. There is a big bowl of rice porridge, a plate with a rolled omelette and a broiled fish on top, a small bowl of miso soup, a rectangular plate divided into three sections carrying fermented soy beans, dried seaweed, and tsukemono (Japanese Pickles), and two cups of green tea.

"What's with the tray of food?" Gauche asked. "You plan to eat breakfast in your room?"

A self debate starts to occur in Dorowa's mind, should she trust him? She had known Gauche for a long time, from the time they trained together by Mr. Heartland to today. Even though Gauche may be hot-headed on several occasions, he's still a reliable partner. On the other hand though, the less people know about secrets, the more easy for them to be concealed...

"Yes, I have some other things to take care of. I think it would be more effective to complete my work earlier if I ate and worked at the same time rather doing them separately." She concluded.

Either he was convinced or decided to drop the conversation, because Gauche stopped looking at her with suspicion.

"Hmph whatever, do what you will." Gauche walked pass her. "If you see Kaito, tell him I said hi." He waved to her.

Dorowa watched as Gauche disappeared into the corner before continuing to walk ahead. Orbital 7 followed her.

"Dorowa, why didn't you tell him what you're really doing?" Orbital asked.

Dorowa remained focused on walking and balancing the tray as she spoke, "If Mr. Heartland finds out about everything, it won't just be me and Kaito. Gauche would also get in trouble, and I don't want that to happen. And we need to keep this at a minimum, the less people who know, the more better it is to keep a secret a secret."

Orbital was starting to have doubts about Dorowa's treatment to Kaito, he calculated the chances of them getting caught to be rather high. And if they did get caught, oh God. Orbital cannot image what would happen. He could feel himself tremble with fear eating at his circuits.

"You seem tense." Dorowa suddenly stated. "Is there something troubling you?"

Orbital's neck extended and his head became levelled to Dorowa's, "There's a high chance you would get caught, you do know that right?"

"Are you suggesting that I let Kaito die from exhaustion then?" Dorowa said coldly.

"Well... the answer would be no."

"Then there you have it. I thought you wanted your master to get better." Dorowa said.

"Yes, but not like this. If Mr. Heartland finds out you are keeping Kaito locked in his room—"

"Then I suggest you keep your speaking to a minimum, unless you want me to get Kaito to remove your voicebox." Dorowa threatened.

If robots had the ability to sweat, Orbital would be doing it right now. He retracted his neck and looked away from the woman beside her. He wasn't sure who he should be scared of now. Maybe it was both.

[8]

Kaito pulled on his cuffs again, the pain on his hands started to grow more severe with every pull on the cuff he did. But pain never stopped him, and he's known to be persistent. Even if the situation was impossible to accomplish, he will not stop until he's done. But right now, he just stopped trying. He tried several attempts to break free from the cuffs that he lost all motivation to continue. Dorowa had tied him down tightly, only way to get out was to follow her advice and take a break...

Over his exhausted, numb body!

Kaito sighed vehemently. All he could think about right now is his brother, he had to get back on his feet and out to Heartland. No matter the cost.

The door opened, Kaito turned his attention to the people, or rather person and robot, standing at the entrance to his room. Dorowa walked in his room carrying a tray of food with Orbital following behind. Orbital... a light bulb shined above his head.

"You still look tired." Dorowa approached his side.

Dorowa sat on the chair with the breakfast tray placed on her lap. Kaito looked at the tray of food, the smell overwhelmed the room, making it very hard to avoid its delicious scent. Kaito had to admit, the food was rather .

"Are you feeling better, Kaito-sama?" Orbital asked.

Kaito's eyes looked down to the robot that had taken its place beside Dorowa. If the robot could display emotional expressions, Orbital would be smiling.

"Why does everybody so concerned about me? I'm fine." Kaito assured.

Orbital disagreed, "Are you sure? Your body was in a terrible condition yester—"

"I said I'm fine. The next time I need your comment or assistance, it will be from my orders." Kaito interrupted.

Orbital backed away from his master, "Yes sir."

Kaito watched his robot assistant, putting his plan into place. And he was sure, this plan is perfect.

White sleeves blocked his sight from Orbital, Kaito felt the bed lower further before Dorowa's arms retracted. He stared in front of him, Dorowa had pulled the stands from the bottom of the tray and placed it over his pelvis. Kaito sat up with his back on the head of the bed, he eyed the tray for a moment to look at its contents before turning his attention to purple-haired woman sitting beside him.

"Mind telling me what exactly is this?" Kaito gestured to the tray.

"That's your breakfast, I told you I would bring it." Dorowa said.

"That's more than I usually eat." Kaito stated.

"Then you clearly aren't getting the nourishment you need every day. Now I insist you start eating."

Kaito raised an eyebrow to her, how could she expect him to eat...

"My hands are kind of tied down here." Kaito tried to raise his hand higher. "You think you could loosen my right hand?"

Dorowa looked at Kaito, was this another scheme of his to break loose from his confines? How would he do it with her sitting right beside him? But even if he were trying to escape at this moment, Dorowa would be aware of it anyway. Still...

"All I'm asking is you to un-cuff my right hand so that I can get access to my utensils. That's all." Kaito said calmly... a bit too calm.

Dorowa shrugged her shoulders, "Alright, I trust you Kaito."

Her hand went through her pocket, searching for something. As she was searching, Kaito started feel like he was doing something bad. She trusted him, and yet she has no idea what his plans were. But was the part about trusting him merely a facade, did she suspect him? Should he not attempt it?

No, he has one chance to break free and he has to take it.

Dorowa finally pulled out what she was searching for: a small key. A key to his handcuffs. Dorowa inserted the key in the handcuff that was binding his right hand. A few clicks and his right hand is free from the handcuff. Kaito quickly looked to Orbital 7, who in turn was looking at him as well. Kaito swiftly mouthed something to Orbital. Orbital 7 watched Kaito's actions, it was clear that his master is trying to say something to him. Orbital replayed Kaito's silent command in his processor, trying to read what his master was asking him. When Kaito repeated his mouthing a third time, Orbital understood what the message was:

_Freeze Time._

Orbital saluted. "Yes, sir."

The robot's systems started whir, Dorowa removed the cuff from Kaito's right hand. As she was about to remove the key from the lock, it slipped from her grasp. Thinking fast, her hand started reaching for it as it fell. But before it hit the ground, the key started falling. Dorowa's stretched hand also stopped mid-way.

Kaito felt the sudden disturbance, this feeling was too familiar to him. Orbital had once again slowed time, a zone was now in effect where 1 second is equal to 100000 seconds. This is always used by Kaito when he is searching for the Numbers.

Kaito turned his attention to Dorowa, who had stopped halfway from reaching the now frozen key. He looked at her sadly.

"Sorry Dorowa, but I have to save my brother." Kaito spoke.

Orbital 7 grasped the key and handed it to Kaito, Kaito brought the key to his left hand and inserted it in the keyhole.

Suddenly, he felt someone grabbing his right arm and pulling it away from his left hand. Too shocked to act, Kaito felt his right hand being, once again, chained to the bed. Kaito couldn't believe what had just happened.

'What?'

"That little trick of yours is getting old Kaito."

**End of Chapter 3**

**Please leave a comment about my work, and thank you for reading. Tune in next week. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone. Sorry for the big delay. I couldn't upload this last week because I was at prom cottage. That's right, I had prom night last week. Not to mention a bunch of tests involving Hamlet, which is a preachy book by the way, I uploaded this a little late because I also had a music banquet yesterday. So I didn't have time to upload this story. **

**Plus, I wanted to make it up for the big delay. I decided to merge Chapter Four and Five together to get a longer chapter after a request from one of my reviews. And I think I would be doing that in the future. For those of you who are interested to know, this chapter has over 7,000 words. Not counting the words in bold, which are my author's notes, so I hope you like this extended chapter.**

**Also, I have exams coming up in mid-June. So starting from June 9****th****, I won't be uploading anymore chapters to this story until after exams are done, which in my case, my last exam would be in June 20****th****. After that, I will continue to upload chapters to this story every Saturday. And for those of you who are wondering, I personally love this story and I have more great ideas to extend it. And I want to finish it, so don't worry about me putting this story on hiatus because I won't. It may be delayed because I have lots of work to do, but I will upload it the Saturday after. This I promise you.**

**Anyway, to those who love and support my story. I thank you and hope you read on and give me your honest opinions about my story. I enabled the anon reviewing function for my story (at least that's what I think it's called) so those of you who don't have an account can review my story. Many thanks.**

**And now, the continuation. R&R **

Chapter Four:

In a city, there are always noises, whether it's from the automobiles, animals, people walking down the streets or children playing. A city would have movement everywhere, the everyday activities that every living thing does. All these factors exist because it's routine. And it's these routines that keep the activities in the city in a continuous manner every day. Heartland City is just like any other city, but there are things that make it just a bit different from _normal_ cities. For one, unaware to the inhabitants of the city, all activity had stopped. Reason: A robot named Orbital 7. And with his time freezing capabilities, nearly everyone in the city has stopped moving. With the exception of himself and his currently bedridden master, everyone else is affected by Orbital...

Except the purple haired woman who is currently staring back at Kaito with her iconic cold glare. Kaito's expression is beyond the word 'shock', he looked at the woman above him with wide-eyes and gaping mouth. Kind of what Orbital 7 is currently portraying.

"That little trick of yours is getting old Kaito." Dorowa said coldly.

Kaito couldn't believe what he is looking at, this is something he never expected. Not to mention improbable. Orbital was the one who asked the obvious question.

"Gah! How are you still moving?"

Dorowa swiped the key from Kaito, "You already know the answer yourself."

Kaito's expression turned from surprised to revelation. Aside from himself and Orbital, there are other alternative ways to wander around the frozen time zone. And it's that reason why they use the time manipulating device...

"You have a Numbers card on you?" It wasn't exactly a question, but the way he phrased it made it less of a statement and more like a question.

Dorowa merely nodded as she stuffed the key in her jacket's breast pocket.

"But the last time I checked you don't use Numbers, Dorowa." Kaito claimed.

Dorowa reached her hand in her pocket, she pulled out her Duel Monsters deck and pulled out a card from her Extra pile. She showed the card to Kaito. Kaito looked at the card more closely, and his eyes went back to its widened state. Between her fingers was indeed a Numbers card, more particularly, one of his Numbers. The name of the card was written "Number 10: Illuminknight"

"What are– that's my Number!" Kaito exclaimed.

"Yes it is." Dorowa placed the card back into her deck and put it in her pocket. "Don't worry, I have no intentions of using this card."

Kaito's temper grew back to anger, "That's not the point! What I want to know is why that card is with you!"

Dorowa placed her index finger on her lips and curved her lips into a shushing manner. That didn't decrease the growing anger in Kaito.

"If you keep yelling like that someone might find us here like this." Dorowa spoke calmly.

Kaito still spoke in his angry behaviour, "I don't care if Dr. Faker himself appeared before us! You tied me to my own bed, made me accept your ridiculous offer to rest—"

"Which by the way, you were planning to break." Dorowa pointed out.

"Whatever! Now you stole something that belonged to me! Why?" Kaito demanded.

"It's simple. I suspected you would try to escape, and the only way you could do that is by having assistance from Orbital. So as a precaution, I borrowed one of your Numbers so I won't be affected by Orbital's time reduction." Dorowa explained.

Despite the feeling of anger, Kaito is impressed by Dorowa's plan. To think that she went through all the trouble merely to make sure he is well again. That amazed him, but his thoughts don't betray his appearance.

"I think you should tell Orbital to put time back in motion, Kaito." Dorowa said.

Kaito nodded in defeat and turned to Orbital 7, "Orbital."

The robot saluted, "Yes, sir."

Moments after the command, the silence is replaced with the low but accurate sound of cars moving again. This indicated that the time freezing phenomenon had ceased. Dorowa looked at Kaito whose look never faltered from its angry demeanor.

"Now what's with that look, you still mad?" Dorowa asked innocently.

Kaito turned away from her, "If a person you thought that you could trust had chained you to your own bed and forced you to be confined in your own room for a whole day with no chance of escaping, would you be angry at the person?" he said angrily.

Dorowa's cold stare softened, his sentence may be in a form of a question but she knows what he is trying to tell her. She remembered what she had said to him yesterday, about how she trusted him, despite his persistent and rash actions he is capable of. The way he talked about her questionable trust, it almost sounded as if Kaito felt betrayed by her words. Dorowa never wanted him to believe that she is distrustful about him, all she is trying to do is what's best for him and his brother.

"Kaito..." she called out.

Kaito didn't turn his head around, but that won't stop her. She will reach out to him.

"I... I know you have a mission that you must accomplish. And I won't try to stop you. But... everyone has their limits, even you. If you continue with this mission of yours, you won't be able to see it to the end in the condition you are in." Dorowa looked at her hands that she placed on her lap, not wanting to look at Kaito. Kaito's head remained as it is, but despite looking away, he had heard what she said. And he honestly didn't care. Probably because he heard this speech about a dozen times in total.

"I know that you want to help your brother so badly, and that you blame yourself for what happened to him. But you can't beat yourself for something that you couldn't have foreseen. I don't know what it is you are feeling in your heart Kaito, and I can't help you unless you stay closed to me." Dorowa finished.

"I never asked for your help." Kaito coldly said.

Dorowa looked away from her hands to Kaito, his negative behaviour is starting to get to her. And in a bad way, even though she knew Kaito isn't completely accepting her help, she still feels that feeling where the surface her heart had been stabbed.

'Why can't he see what I am truly doing? Doesn't he know what I am trying to convey to him?' she thought.

"Kaito, you can't let your feelings—" Once again, she's interrupted in the middle of her explanation. And this time, what Kaito said next, the stab in her heart sank deeper.

"What do you know about my feelings?" Kaito exclaimed, "Since when did I ask you to get involved with how I feel or try to understand them? You said you wanted to do this because you care, but don't you care about how I am feeling to all this right now. You don't have a family that you need to protect, so how can you possibly know how I feel? Not to mention, you said that you actually care about me, but that's just a lie isn't it? That whole care speech you talked about is nothing more than a facade to hide your true ambitions. Deep down, you are still the same cold person that I had known since working with you. So stop with this whole act of convincing me that you actually care."

Needless to say, that rebuttal was incredibly harsh.

Dorowa's mouth remained open and her eyes were wide as saucers, up to the point where he said about her not having a family to protect and onward, she felt an aching pain in her heart. And that pain grew more with each word that he directed to her. She knew Kaito is a cold person, but this is beyond his regular cold demeanor. No, this person in front of her is even colder.

"I don't care what it is your doing or what your true purpose is, so can you just let me be." Kaito finished.

Kaito breathed inward and out from his harsh speech and his face still away from her, oblivious to the damage he had done to her.

"Baka..."

That one word and insult made Kaito turn to her direction, his stern expression suddenly softened when he saw Dorowa. Her bangs had covered her eyes, leaving a small shadow beneath them. But even without seeing those eyes, Kaito sensed something different in Dorowa.

"You are such a prideful, selfish idiot Kaito Tenjo." Kaito's eyes widened, even though he heard the insult, he sensed the emotion she was expressing from her voice, it is shaking. And he knew instantly why, she was hurt.

"You're right, I have no family now. I have to look out for myself now, the only thing I have to fight for left is my own survival. That was how I used to think back then, and I didn't have a true purpose to what I should be fighting for, or to live for." Dorowa paused, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I don't know if you know this Kaito, but I wasn't always a cold person that you see in me as. I used to be... different. I used to think about others and show them that I care. But after one event, that all changed. Do... do you remember that day? A few years ago, when we were being tested to be elite duelists?"

That memory, the same memory that gave her the nightmare, the memory that she chose to be both memorable and precious to her. The memory of when she was saved from that berserk robot, saved by the same person who is currently lying in front of her. She doesn't know whether he remembers, nor does she believe he would. Since in his mind, he cared only for Haruto. Despite her thoughts, she continued.

"It was after what had happened back then did I realized something, I had found my purpose. And it's from that purpose, I had something to fight for. Do you know what that is? What I am now fighting for, Kaito?"

Kaito just remained silent, he continued staring at the woman in beside him. He couldn't stop looking at her, she looked like she was in pain. Not physically, but emotionally. Her head rose and her eyes were revealed from under her bangs. What he saw in them made his heart cramped. Her eyes were downcast, which made her face look even more depressed. He didn't know what to say, all he could do was stare at her directly in the eyes and wait for her answer.

"It's you." Dorowa finally spoke. "It was and always you."

Kaito gasped audibly. Dorowa didn't notice, "When you saved me that day, I felt the urge to do the same for you. I wanted to be there for you, like how you were there for me when I needed someone to help me."

Dorowa clutched her fists, she felt her depression turn into anger. Even though it was small, she still felt the change in her emotions.

"I... I thought you would understand what I am doing. Why I am trying to help you, why I am doing all of this. I thought you would know how I feel. But..."

She couldn't stop herself from what she was about to say next.

"But apparently you don't!" Dorowa almost yelled, but it was loud enough to catch Kaito by surprise. "You don't understand how it is I am feeling right now, and you dare say I don't care! Well here's the news Tenjo, I am doing all this because of you. I want to do the same as you did for me, I want to be there for you. I want to help you when you are cornered. I want to fight with and for you. But it's obvious you don't want me to!"

Her eyes began to water, but she won't allow them to drop. No, not in front of him, but fortunately, her anger surpasses her depression. She reached into her breast pocket and pulled out the key. She placed it roughly on Kaito's nightstand.

"I know Haruto means the world to you, so I won't stop you from saving him. But if you wouldn't allow me to help you along the path, then so be it. Go, go back to hunting Numbers. Work yourself to death and see if I care when you are on the ground with no more energy to spare. Because now, I don't even know if you're worth saving now!"

Dorowa stood from her chair and walked swiftly out of Kaito's room, the 18-year old boy just sat on the spot. His expression frozen in its bewildered state, his eyes wide open and his mouth opened in shock. Never before had he heard Dorowa express so much pain and anger in her voice, what's worse, all that sorrow and rage were directed to him. He felt his heart cramp in pain, his emotions clouding his judgment and thoughts. Why was he feeling like this?

"Kaito-sama" Orbital 7 suddenly and finally spoke.

He never spoke during the argument between his master and Dorowa, partially because he doesn't want to get involved with a frustrated Dorowa and his irritated master. After Dorowa left, Orbital went to Kaito's side and took the key from the nightstand, which is what he is holding in front of Kaito right now.

"Do you want me to release you from those cuffs, master?" Orbital asked.

Kaito paid no attention to Orbital's question, his conscious is still directed to his many rambling thoughts and emotions that both his heart and brain are currently fighting over about. The question that he's asking himself is 'what just happened?' Kaito felt incredibly conflicted by himself and Dorowa. He no longer knew what is right and what he should do anymore.

"Kaito-sama?" Kaito snapped out of his thoughts after Orbital called his name again, he forgot Orbital was still in his room. And right now, he doesn't want him here.

"Leave."

Orbital got confused, "What?"

"I want to be alone right now."

"But... this is your chance to leave, sir."

"There's no point if I leave now, I need to think right now. So leave me alone." Kaito growled.

Not wanting to agitate his master further, Orbital complied. He saluted Kaito again before exiting himself from Kaito's room. Now there is just Kaito, who is still chained to his bed, left in the room. His began thinking if what he had said was a little harsh. No, scratch that, he concluded that his yelling at Dorowa was not a little harsh.

It was unusually cruel.

He felt disgusted of himself, he vented out all his rage at the one person who actually cared for him (not counting that idiot Yuma) and did she deserve such cruel words and insults? Kaito answered the obvious question. And it was no. All she wanted was to help him, all she ever wanted was to know him more so she could understand him, and he threw all of her care back at her where it hurt. Kaito never hated himself so much right now, so blinded by his frustration that he took Dorowa's care for granted. He has to do something otherwise he would lose her.

Kaito straightened his back against the head of his bed, as he raised his knees to make himself more comfortable, he almost forgot that something was on top of him. Before it even made contact, Kaito stopped his knee from kicking the breakfast tray Dorowa placed over him. Looking at the food, Kaito's face turned even sadder. She spent a majority of her time getting this tray of food to him and he never said anything about it. But maybe... maybe he could show her that how he truly feels. He could try to convey how he thinks of her for helping him and not put her efforts to waste. He nearly lost someone close to him, he will not repeat that same mistake.

This he swears.

[8]

Dorowa had stormed out of Kaito's room incredibly fast. She couldn't face him like this: Her eyes threaten to drop tears from his harsh words about her. All the words he had said repeated in her mind, each one more painful to bear than the last. She needed to get away from here. Not knowing where she is heading, Dorowa trotted as far away from _his_ room as possible. Her eyes were closed and covered by her left wrist to prevent herself from crying right there and now.

'_How could he say all that?_' she thought, '_how can he think that my words were nothing but falsehood_.'

She is so focused on her thoughts that she didn't prepare herself to bump into someone. Dorowa felt herself slam into something, causing her to retract back. Her desire to be alone forced her to ignore what had just happened.

"Sorry..." she muttered as she went around the person.

Suddenly, she felt someone grab her right wrist and pulled her to a stop. Dorowa didn't anticipate this and stumbled slightly from the sudden action, still keeping her left wrist covering her eyes.

"Dorowa?"

She recognized that voice, she lowered her left wrist and opened her wet eyes. It was blurry at first, but she could make out the outline of the person in front of her. His flame-like hairstyle made it easier for her to identify who he is.

"Gauche" Dorowa called out.

The man she called her partner released his grip from her and stared with surprise and confusion at her red, wet, and slightly puffy eyes. In their time of working together, he had never seen her like this before. And he didn't like it one bit.

"Dorowa, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Gauche said with concern.

Dorowa wiped her eyes clear of the remaining tears, and tried to put on her strong face, which evidently failed when she remembered why she is crying in the first place. The tall man placed his hands over her shoulders, trying his best to comfort his partner.

"What happened?" he asked.

Dorowa looked up to him, she really wants to be alone right now. But Gauche would never let that happen. Deciding to put some trust into her hotheaded partner, Dorowa will have to tell him everything.

"Ca-can we- take this- ou-outside?" she stammered.

Gauche nodded and took her with him on the walk, her eyes mainly focused on the ground, not daring to look up. She didn't know how long the walk was, but after what felt like only a few minutes, she could hear the sound of doors opening. And the light grew brighter. Then, they stopped. She lifted her head away from the ground and she found themselves on the balcony, where they could see all of Heartland from this angle and altitude. She remembers the numerous times she and Gauche had came here to talk or watch over Heartland. It was sort of their... talking area.

Gauche had released his hands from her and is now looking down at her. Dorowa kept her gaze on the city of Heartland.

"You ready to talk?"

Dorowa wiped her eyes one more time before explaining to him everything that's happened.

[8]

"It was horrible. The way he said everything to me, I couldn't handle it." She explained.

Gauche had his fingers cupping his chin, listening to everything Dorowa had said. She explained how Kaito didn't get any rest for so many days and how she had to cuff him to his own bed to make sure he doesn't get out of his room, which Gauche found really hilarious to the point that he couldn't stop his laughing, she also explained how Kaito reluctantly agreed to rest up, and she talked to the point where Kaito tried to escape from her and when he said all those harsh words to her.

Gauche paid very close attention to everything that Dorowa had explained so far, every explanation Dorowa said to him added up to everything that he had found out of place today. When Dorowa explained the part where Kaito started saying the harsh words to her, he was astonished at how cold Kaito can be. But what he found even more surprising was how Dorowa took it, he couldn't believe that she would break into tears from Kaito like this. To have Kaito do this to her, it is very unwelcoming but more importantly, to have Dorowa affected by Kaito's remarks intrigued him the most out of everything he had heard so far. He always knew Dorowa cared for Kaito, but this is something beyond care. Gauche concluded that Kaito meant something more to her, but what? (Yes, he is that oblivious)

"What happened after he yelled at you?" Gauche asked.

Dorowa hesitated a bit, "I yelled back at him. I told him how wrong he was about how I feel and that I no longer care if he goes into unconsciousness again." She paused to allow herself to breath briefly, "After my last argument, I gave him the key to his chains and stormed out."

Gauche just laughed. It sounded almost like a laugh of insult, was he not taking what she had just said seriously? Dorowa looked at Gauche coldly to see he is still laughing. Needless to say, she didn't like it.

"Mind telling me what it is you find so funny?" Dorowa demanded.

Gauche took a moment to regain his calm demeanor, after a few chuckles, he looked at her with his smirking face.

"What's so funny? How about the fact you let yourself lose your ordinary demeanor just because of a little insult from Kaito? Or the fact you would go through so much trouble just for him? You aren't yourself anymore, Dorowa." He gleamed.

Dorowa didn't find any of that funny, in fact, she found her partner's gloating to add insult to her injury.

"So what you're saying is that I'm what? Always a cold-hearted woman?" Dorowa growled.

Gauche waved his hands in front of him, "Whoa! I never said anything like that."

"Then what is it you are trying to tell me?" Dorowa exclaimed.

Gauche's smile faded, now replaced with a serious look. Kind of what he would look like when someone disgraced the traditions of dueling. "That you are giving up so easily."

Dorowa's angry face softened, taking in what Gauche had just said. Gauche ignored her silence and continued talking.

"You know, ever since I've known you, you were nothing like you are now. You weren't as tough as you are now. I found you to be pretty soft, and always trying to work hard. Now, you became so closed to those around you, including Kaito and myself. If I had to say, you are behaving almost similar to him. You don't procrastinate a lot and you take your work seriously, even in your duels it's all strategy to you. I mean, where's the passion? Shouldn't dueling be fun at times to you?"

Dorowa didn't say a word, she is too focused on Gauche's talking and absorbing every detail of his speech.

Gauche continued, "To be honest, I thought you had completely shut yourself from everyone. Even to me you acted in such a professional manner, it kind of hurt but it was also hilarious. But..."

"... behind that cold-exterior, there's that soft side of you. The side where all your emotions are contained, and only shown mostly whenever it involves him."

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Gauche was talking about Kaito.

"The fact that you actually care so much about him, it shocked me. You, a cold person caring for someone who is almost equally as cold as you, it was very startling to take in. But I know you aren't as cold as you show it, that you show a side where you care for others, especially to him. You never stopped thinking about him whenever he's involved in a situation, I see your reaction whenever I try to taunt him, or how you let him go after Haruto when I didn't allow it. It's obvious that you care about him."

Dorowa stared at Gauche in awe. To think this hot-headed duelist could deduce her actions and feelings so well. Then again, he is with her most of times. So he examining her behaviour is nothing out of the ordinary.

"But what I can't take in is the fact that you have given up on him so easily after he yelled at you, where's that tough frontier you always show?"

Dorowa looked away from him, unable to meet his gaze.

"I... My feelings... they got the best of me." She tried to explain.

Gauche placed both his hands on her shoulder again, she tilted her head to face him. His serious look still showing, "Then fight back, if your emotions are going to get in the way of your mission than push them back with the same force they used to push you away from Kaito. If you believe that getting him to rest is the best thing for him, then try to continue with it. Show him your burning spirit for him."

To say that she was mind-blown by his encouragement is an understatement, if there is a word that exceeds mind-blown, then that is exactly how she is feeling. Gauche's high spirited encouragement sparked something in her, she felt all forms of depression wash away. Replaced with determination, she smiled to her partner.

"You're right." Gauche smiled as he watched Dorowa's determination returning. "I'm not going to let go of him just yet."

Dorowa walked to the door, as it opened before she could exit, she turned to Gauche.

"Thank you, Gauche." She smiled. A true genuine smile, Gauche gave her a thumbs up.

Dorowa exited the balcony, leaving Gauche alone to mesmerize at the sight of Heartland city.

"_People sure do crazy things for the people they love._" Gauche thought. "_Dorowa, I hope you can find happiness in him._"

But the thing he should hope for is if Kaito would return her feelings.

[8]

Despite having determination to help Kaito again, Dorowa can't help but feel nervous. To face him again, after everything that has happened between them, could either of them face each other after a quarrel like that?

No. She must fight back her nervousness, she must go head-on and fight her battles with everything she's got. If she is to regain Kaito's trust, she must overcome this obstacle. And in order to get him to open up to her, she must understand how Kaito feels. But in all honesty, she doesn't know a lot about Kaito and vice versa. She knows that she wants to learn more about him, but would he want the same thing to her?

Her thoughts were, once again, interrupted by the approaching robot that's heading towards her. She looked down to see Orbital 7 heading towards her with his head down on the ground, as if he were contemplating about something. This meant he barely noticed her.

"Orbital?" Dorowa called out.

The robot looked to the direction of the voice, his optics widened and his mouth gaped.

"Dorowa! I didn't see you coming this way!" Orbital stated.

"I understand, I can see you have a lot to think about after all." Dorowa said. Her eyes narrowed at the object that Orbital was holding, she realized immediately from the shape that it was the key to Kaito's handcuffs. Then it hit her, she had completely forgotten she left the key with him. Then that would mean...

"Where's Kaito?" she asked.

Orbital looked at the key in his hands and back to Dorowa, "Kaito-sama said he needed sometime alone, so he asked me to leave."

Dorowa sighed in relief, Kaito didn't leave like she had initially thought, which is strange as well since he wants to help Haruto so badly. How come he decided to stay confined instead of getting the chance to leave? This is going to be the first thing she'll have to ask him when she heads back.

"Can I ask?" Orbital spoke. Dorowa looked back to the robot, "Yes?"

"Can I ask where it is you are heading Dorowa?" Orbital fully asked.

"I'm heading back to Kaito's room." She said straight out.

Orbital's neck extended in surprise, his face showing his surprise expression.

"What! But aren't you and Kaito-sama ignoring each other now?" Orbital exclaimed.

"Not anymore, I'm not going to let him go this easily." She said confidently as she pumped out her fist.

She extended her fist out to Orbital and released her fingers flat out at him, "Mind if I have the key back Orbital?"

Orbital looked at the key and back to Dorowa, he's having an inner conflict with himself whether to side with his master or the woman who's trying to confine him in his bed. Dorowa seemed to have sensed the inner conflict Orbital is having.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to Kaito. I promise you, I am going to make sure he gets enough energy back to continue his mission." Dorowa reassured.

Orbital is still unsure, but after a brief moment of thinking, he came to a conclusion. There's no one else that whom Kaito would open up to. Gauche and Kaito share a tense rivalry, so Gauche wouldn't be able to get Kaito to open his feelings. Mr. Heartland is definitely out of the question. As for himself, he's too frightened by his master to even have brief conversations with him, unless he is willing or to clear matters up. But besides him, there's only Dorowa and Haruto who can open up Kaito's feelings. Haruto is still comatose, so that just leaves her. And judging how she feels to him, Orbital could put his trust into her. After all, he should take a chance like everybody else. He finally handed the key to her.

"Thank you Orbital." Dorowa took the key from him and placed it back into her breast pocket.

"Just promise me that nothing bad will happen." Orbital asked.

Dorowa patted the robot on top of his head, "Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing will."

With that, Orbital nodded and continued rolling to who knows where he's heading to. Dorowa resumed walking. As she walked, she thought about Orbital's words. If both he and Gauche have faith that she can get through to Kaito, then she has the confidence she needs to accomplish such a task.

Before she knew it, she is standing in front of Kaito's door.

'_This is it._' She thought to herself.

Taking a breath in, she stepped forward. The doors opened. Dorowa entered the room...

[8]

_**A few minutes before Dorowa entered Kaito's room...**_

'_Damn you, Orbital.'_ Kaito thought to himself.

He was so focused on his own thoughts about how to make it up to Dorowa, he paid no attention to the robot that left him alone. If he had, he would've noticed the robot taking the key away. But he finalized that even if Orbital left the key here, Kaito won't be able to reach it anyway. In the end, the only person there is to blame for everything that had happened is himself. And boy, did he feel awful about it. He is so convinced that everything that happened today was because of his actions. From the fight with Dorowa to asking Orbital to leave, everything that had happened so far is because of him. Oh how he loathed himself so much right now.

Even though he wanted to show Dorowa that he cared about everything she's done, Kaito still wants to get up and leave. Mainly because there's a high chance she would not return and that would mean he would have to find her himself. But that's not likely to happen, Dorowa cares about him so much to leave him alone. This is what he could distinguish about her feelings. He didn't know how long it has been since he sat up on the bed to think, but he knew it's been incredibly long.

The sound of the doors opening caught Kaito's attention, he looked to the doors to see they had opened and a familiar figure is standing at the entrance to his room. Without even attempting to guess, Kaito knew who it is.

Kaito watched as Dorowa approached to him, he remembered the recent fight that the two just had. All the words that he used against her, the pained look she expressed before she left. Unable to face her, Kaito turned away from her, like a coward.

Even though he wanted to amend ways with her, he couldn't get the courage to face her. He could only imagine what she's currently expressing, it could either be angry or sorrowful. Either one of those emotions sent a dagger to his heart, the fact he did all that to her still pained him. It is obvious that this isn't helping with his concentration. All he is focused on right now is to avoid Dorowa's gaze. The sound of her steps approached closer to him until they stopped when he is certain that she is beside him. He couldn't bear to face her right now. But apparently, Dorowa has other plans.

"Kaito, I know you don't want me around you right now. But can you please look at me. I... I have something that I need to get off of my chest." She requested.

Deciding not to cause anymore commotions, he took in a breath of courage and looked at the woman beside him, she wasn't displaying any sign of anger or depression on her face. Her face just looked the same as it did every day, neutrally calm. Both their eyes stared into each other, trying to get a read of what the other is trying to say.

"Listen Kaito. I—"

"Before you say anything, I have something to say myself." Kaito interrupted quickly.

Dorowa stopped speaking and looked at Kaito, his eyes were different, not the usual cold or charismatic expression anymore. All there is, is what she could depict as remorse. At least that's what she thinks. Still.

"What is it, Kaito?" Dorowa asked.

Kaito took in another breath, thinking how he needs to be brave and face his problems head-on. He looked to Dorowa.

"I'm so sorry." Kaito said.

Dorowa was taken aback by the sudden apology, she didn't expect Kaito to apologize to her, probably because well... he's Kaito. Still, the sentence Kaito just said to her caught her by surprise. Kaito took her silence that she has nothing to say, so he continued.

"I should've never said those words to you. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me. I was just... so mad at nothing." He stated.

Mad at nothing?

"What did he mean by that?" Dorowa asked.

Kaito sighed as he leaned back against his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "What I meant is, I got mad at you for something that I never should've gotten mad about in the first place. You took my Number from me, you only wanted it to make sure I don't attempt another escape. I thought differently, I thought that you were trying to take advantage of my confinement and of my trust. But I should've known better, you're more than that."

Dorowa gasped, did he really think that about her?

"I am an idiot, and you were right. Haruto means everything to me, and I want to do everything I can to protect him. But in the process, I am slowly killing myself. You warned me about how I am always trying so hard. I was just too blind to see it."

He paused to catch his breath, still not wanting to look at Dorowa right now. "The things I said to you. They should've never escaped my tongue. You didn't deserve that kind of treatment. I should've never have taken your feelings for granted. And..."

He clutched his fists, but he couldn't feel them. "When I said that I didn't care about your worries towards me, half of me actually really didn't care."

Dorowa gasped again, he actually didn't care about her motives. "Why?"

Kaito laughed, but it was a short, sad laugh. "To be honest, I don't know. It's probably because I didn't know if I could trust you after everything you've done to anger me. But I know better now, I do care for what you are doing."

Dorowa felt her chest lightened, to know that he cared about her motives made her feel better.

"Dorowa... if you don't want to forgive me, then I would understand. I treated you horribly when you were helping me, and I know you are still hurt from it. But if you would allow it, I want to know you more. Get to know the real Dorowa, so I can tell her how truly sorry I am. That I hurt you, and that I will never do that again."

Dorowa is astounded. The stabs in her heart faded to a pressure of joy, he wants to know her more! She could die of happiness right there just from that compliment.

Kaito looked over to her, her still showing its face surprised look. Kaito turned away from her.

"I forgive you."

Kaito turned back to Dorowa, eyes wide. Did he hear that right?

"What?"

Dorowa repeated, "I said, I forgive you Kaito."

Kaito felt the weight in his chest lighten, she has forgiven him. He couldn't feel any happier. Maybe just a little.

"But, if it's all the same to you, I should apologize as well."

Kaito looked to her in confusion.

"I said some pretty harsh things as well."

"But they were true." Kaito answered. "If you hadn't said those things, I won't be like this right now. So there's nothing for you to apologize for."

"But..."

"If anything Dorowa, I should be thanking you. So just let me say it here and now. Thank you for what you're doing." Kaito said with sincerity.

Dorowa could smile right now. It would appear that Kaito is truly appreciative of her. She looked down at the handcuffs he is still cuffed in, her gaze continued down till it stopped at the tray of food that remained untouched. Then, she realized...

"You hungry?" Dorowa asked.

Kaito looked at the tray of food that's in front of him, he felt his stomach trying to send him a message. All he could do is nod.

Dorowa reached into her breast pocket and pulled out the key. She placed it into the handcuff that was on his right hand. There's the sound of the click and Kaito felt his right hand being free of the handcuff. Dorowa proceeded to unlock the second one on his left hand. Kaito is taken aback by Dorowa's sudden act, why is she unlocking the confines to his bed? When he felt his left hand is free, Dorowa sat back down on the chair. Her eyes were now fixated on Kaito's, who is staring at her in confusion.

"I don't have the right to confine you to your own bed, so it's only right that I allow you to be free." She stated.

That statement surprised Kaito, Dorowa is trying to make sure he is getting back to his health and yet here she is, letting him go. She has that much trust in him? He surely underestimated her.

"Come on, eat. You must be hungry." Dorowa proclaimed.

Despite his surprised expression, Kaito nodded to Dorowa's claim and turned to the tray of food in front of him. He tried to raise his both of his hands, only for them fall back on the bed. His hands had been chained to the bed for less than 12 hours, and now...

"My... my hands feel numb." Kaito finally spoke. "And I think their asleep as well."

Dorowa understood the condition of his hands, so she grabbed the spoon from the tray and scooped some porridge onto the spoon. She held the spoon in front of Kaito, Kaito looked at her with curiosity.

"If both your hands aren't assessable right now, then the other option is that I feed you." Dorowa said.

Kaito felt his face heat up, this is embarrassing to him. He is 18-years old and has to be fed like a baby by Dorowa. That cannot be any more embarrassing to him. He wanted to deny that offer but his stomach suddenly growled. He felt his face heat up even more. Dorowa couldn't help but smile, it's kind of cute to see Kaito look embarrassed over something so small.

"I'll take your stomach as an agreement." She looked at the small amount of steam that's coming from the porridge. "It's still hot, I'll just have to cool it off."

She brought the spoon of porridge to near her mouth, she formed her mouth into an o formation and blew at the porridge.

Kaito watched her blowing on the spoon, he couldn't stop himself from being mesmerized at Dorowa, or more specifically, her lips. He couldn't help but notice how they looked so alluring, almost delicious... wait, WHAT!

'What the hell am I doing?" Kaito thought to himself. Once again, he found himself entranced by one of Dorowa's, how should this be said... body parts. But Kaito, being Kaito, dismissed the idea as nothing but an act because of his hormones. Yes, he did find this conclusion to be ridiculous. But hey, when someone's in denial, they tend to make up the most ridiculous solutions. And Kaito would never admit it and he doesn't know it, but he is definitely in denial.

When she believed the porridge has been cooled off, she reached out her hand to his mouth.

Kaito is very reluctant to open his mouth, but deciding it's inevitable, he willingly opened his mouth for Dorowa to put the spoon of porridge in him. He took the moment to chew the porridge, taking in its taste. It could've been a lot better if it is a bit warmer. But this porridge definitely tasted good. He never ate anything from this godforsaken tower that tasted this good. Kaito swallowed the porridge. Dorowa smiled to herself, seeing Kaito being more accepting warmed her heart. She continued scooping porridge and feeding it to Kaito, who accepted the delicious meal.

The porridge was finished after only a couple of minutes. Kaito felt a little thankful, normally, he would just eat something like a riceball and be on his way to hunting Numbers. The amount of porridge he swallowed was probably somewhat similar to the mass of the riceball. Dorowa placed the spoon on the bowl.

"How are your hands?" she asked.

Kaito tried to move them and the results were the same, he can't lift or feel either of his hands.

"They're still asleep. I think it would take a while for them to recover." Kaito said.

"Then I guess I will have to continue feeding you." She now replaced the spoon with a pair of chopsticks.

"Whoa, that's okay. I think I ate enough." Kaito claimed.

"That was just a bowl of rice porridge. How can that be enough?" Dorowa asked.

"I'm not hungry. Okay?"

Suddenly, his stomach growled again.

Kaito blushed a deep red, "Oh come on!" he yelled self-consciously.

Dorowa couldn't help but giggle. She found Kaito's reaction and body behaviour to be incredibly adorable. Kaito heard her quiet giggle, and he realized that this is the first time he ever heard her laugh or giggle at anything. He felt his lips form a small smile, her giggle sounded so angel like. He wanted to hear her laugh more often now.

She stopped her giggling, but her smile remained on her face. She grabbed the pair of chopsticks.

"So, what will it be next?"

**End of Chapter 3**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter this coming Saturday. Once again, please review.**


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